The invention relates to apparatus for intermediately storing products on storage devices, such as pallets or the like, wherein the products supplied thereto by a conveyor can be fed to the storage device by means of an inserter member arranged transverse of the conveyor.
Intermediate storage is generally provided for products which travel from a producing machine or from an intermediate wrapping device to the final wrapping arrangement. It is used, inter alia, for the purpose of compensating different capacities of successive machines along a production line, or temporarily storing the arriving products in the case of disturbances in succeeding conveyor belts or machines.
In general, intermediate storage occurs on pallets with automatic loading and unloading. It is essential in this case that the products are returned again to the conveyor in a certain pre-determined geometric arrangement, for further treatment. In order to ensure that the products are accurately displaced from the storage pallet and the products are arranged singly on the conveyor, the present state of the art always requires additional slider members, guides, and the like which increase considerably the financial expenditure for the intermediate storage. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for intermediate storage which ensures for a small expenditure for automatic loading and unloading of the intermediate storage devices, and in particular, a reliable return of the stored products to the conveyor, under certain circumstances with predetermined spacing of successive products.
A further object is to omit the auxiliary devices usually required heretofore for perfectly positioning the products during the transfer from the intermediate storage device to the conveyor.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides apparatus for intermediately storing products on a storage device, such as a pallet or the like, comprising an inserter member for feeding products supplied by a conveyor to the storage device, the inserter member being arranged transversely of the conveyor, and having a displaceable plunger above which is provided a planar support surface which is connected to the plunger and which co-operates with a stripper member for returning the intermediately stored products to the conveyor.
Thus, the advantage is obtained that the inserter member functions simultaneously as an aligning surface and as a positioning aid during the return guidance of the intermediately stored products to the conveyor. Moreover, the inserter member may serve addtionally as a separator device for spacing successive products. In order to use the inserter member in its function as an aligning surface, it is merely necessary to lift the storage pallet slightly, in order that the stored products can be pushed from above on to the support surface connected with the plunger of the inserter member. The vertical displacement of the storage pallet does not necessitate additional production expenditure, since it must be displaceable in any event in a vertical direction in order that its individual layers or stories can be filled successively. Thus, the loading and unloading of the products can occur in the same plane, i.e. the conveyor can always remain at the same level, independently of whether loading or unloading of the storage device takes place.
Preferably, a discharge member for feeding the intermediately stored products to the support surface is arranged on that side of the storage device located opposite the inserter member. The result thereof is an association between inserter member and discharge member which is easily governed in respect of the control technique.
Furthermore, it is advantageous for the stripper member to be adjustable in the transverse direction of the conveyor so that the product is deposited always in the center of the conveyor.
Since the storage pallet is displaceable in the vertical direction, a benefit is obtainable permitting the inserter member to remain vertically stationary, and while the discharge member may also be vertically stationary, it is advantageous to render the discharge member vertically displaceable so as to be at the proper height for engaging and laterally displacing products of various height from the pallet.
Still further, by arranging a plurality of pallets with associated inserter members along the same conveyor, additional advantages can be obtained. For example, products of different condition, for example, different color, can be stored along a conveyor, and a mixed unit may be put together on the conveyor by recall from adjacent stores.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.